Crystal Palace

The last time I visited they were in the middle of the big remodel which was chaotic to say the least. I have mixed reviews on the new layout, doesn’t seem to have an easy flow for getting around. The quality of the food is consistent however I agree the smaller size of the warming pans does lead to empty pans alot more than previously. And of course, The ice cream machine was out (Again!)

Crystal Palace is a great buffet restaurant with a lot of varieties of buffets. They are laid out at the end of the restaurant with easy in-​out and double sided in most cases. In my opinion the private room sits comfortably about 50 – 60. They are flexible and easy to work with and look forward to booking an event with them!

Yum! I miss living in Raleigh. This was one of the popular places and I can tell you why. The food is always good. I cant find better singoperean noodles or even bananas foster bites anywhere! I hope to make a trip soon.

Rarely do I hit the local Chinese buffet for lunch, this one was fantastic. Service was spot on for 7 of us, seperate checks and all. Water was constantly filled. For the food, the selections goes on and on. Buffet looks clean and fresh. And they have soft serve ice cream. Yummy. Cheaper than your local fast food chains.

Decent buffet.

I took my daughter here for her birthday dinner (and to use a living social special we had). We hadn’t been here in over a year, and this place is certainly the best Chinese buffet around which is saying a lot. It is very clean and there is almost certainly going to be something for everyone. The place has been remodeled and the flow was much better.
This is where I deduct points.
The living social deal wasn’t’ good if you wanted all you can eat crab-​legs. MIND YOU the price jumps up from 12.99 to 29.99 so they are still making money on the all you can eat crab legs. But they will not let you do it– and I tried because of it being my daughter’s birthday. In the end we «WERE» able to order a pound to satisfy her for an additional $ 8.99. Still, they LOST money on this deal.
second point deducted: the forks for the crabs are standard size. NO tiny fork, so my daughter severely bent one because of this. I wondered if they were going to charge for that also since they were ready to nickle and dime us.
In any case I will return because of the food, however if I were the owner I would rethink that silly rule because anything over $ 12.99 is Still money made! Coupon or not!

Went here for the first time in a long time last Sunday for a 1:00 lunch. Needed to use up (yet another) voucher I had bought. This is the first time we had been here since they remodeled and it is quite the remodel! Everything is clean and well, updated looking. Food was just as good as always, but somehow it felt a bit Americanized now. Gone were some of the spicier dishes. There’s still a good selection with lots of veggies, which very much appeals to me. I can’t imagine anyone not being able to find something they liked here… American or not.
. There is even a fajita bar now, which feels very wrong, but to each his own. Still like the grilled area… the sweet potatoes were particularly tasty.
I will say that where we were seated we had a cool draft on us that made the food go cool quickly.
Service… good as always… plates were cleared efficiently and drinks replenished.
If you’re in the mood for this kind of buffet, you can’t go wrong here quality and money-​wise.

Am switching to a new buffet nearby because of much higher quality food and a better setup for customer service at the buffet.
A recent remodel at Crystal Palace actually reduced the value of the dining experience. It was a serious mistake and may be a nail in the coffin ending this restaurant’s existence.
The new electric buffet tables do not keep the food as uniformly hot as the old gas tables. They make it harder to access the food which is now kept in smaller pans that run out more frequently than the larger pans on the older tables.
The traffic pattern at the buffet was changed to allow access by customers from only one side. This does allow the buffet to be serviced by employees without disturbing guests but creates large backups when many customers are on line.
The frozen dessert (ice cream) machine is constantly out of adjustment producing ice cream that is more ice than cream. Numerous attempts to repair this older piece of equipment have not produced results that last.
Frequently, improperly washed dishes are placed out for use and are rejected by guests.
Lacking a hibachi bar is a big minus compared to many other buffets in the area.
Hope they can turn it around but feel that this restaurant is now doomed. The volume of customers has recently taken a big drop.

Great new look, but same great food. Always everyone’s favorite choice for lunch (family dinners) I love the assortment so I can choose some healthier items from grill bar… and indulge in their home made dessert — love the chocolate cake with the flan type topping!

What is it about Chinese buffet? You think you eat all you can until you have to unbutton your pant, then an hour later, you are hungry again! I have come by this place many times, but I only go as far as Phở Far East; but today, I just have that craving for greasy filling Chinese food.
[Location] If you head north on Capital Blvd, it’s really hard to miss this place. Right before Capital and 401 splits, you cannot miss the giant red neon signs on your left.
[Menu] It’s a buffet… They really don’t have anything you cannot find in any other buffet lines. Although I found it funny that they put apple cobbler with the entrée line rather than dessert. Also, like most buffets, it’s not really vegetarian friendly, except for the few salad selection.
[Taste] The food is not bland, so that’s a plus. I wish they had lighten up on the soy sauce in some dishes, but that’s just me; I’m one of those that like his fried rice white instead of drowning in soy sauce.

Not that great. Big buffet but not much quality. Go to royal india down the rd.

Awesome Chinese buffet. The ambience is good. It is not that expensive either.